Izeran Empire
The Interstellar Empire of Izera is an interstellar monarchy originating in the Din System and comprised of the entirety of the theran species. Izera traces its roots to the joining of native therans and human colonists who left Earth and made their way to Akanda. It was preceded by the Akandan Republic, which fell to the Szera Autocracy, which was reformed into Izera. Etymology "Izera" stems from "Szera," referring to "Nijar Szera," the First Emperor and founder of the empire. History Long ago, when the native Theran were still in the Stone Age, some humans of unknown origin decided to try and colonize the planet. Most of the records from Izera’s past were lost to various conflicts and circumstances, or else never existed in the first place, but somehow or other the natives came to possess and understand the human colonists’ advanced technology. As the Theran advanced rapidly, the human colony stagnated as, for reasons now lost to history, they received no aid from off-world. As the natives discovered industrialization, multiple wars broke out over territory and resources, eventually escalating into one enormous global conflict, one which only ended after a particular faction conquered most of the planet, including the human colony, and wiped out the other factions. This one faction, known as the Akandan Republic (2945 - 3125), eventually founded a world-wide nation, uniting all Therans under a single, idealistic democratic government. Sadly, the residual tension from the war was still strong, even after several generations, and the fledgling democracy was plagued by sabotage and civil unrest. None of the would-be factions ever gained an advantage over the dominant one, however. Instead, they had merely doomed the young nation to a slow death, rotting away from the inside due to corruption and rampant crime. The slow death of Akanada’s first one-world government caused poverty and wealth disparity to explode, leading to a small class of wealthy elites that controlled everything and viciously exploited just about everyone else, all while vocally insisting that there was still democracy. Interestingly, it was during this period that the Therans achieved advanced space-flight, as well as numerous other technological advances, though they lacked the infrastructure or political will to mass produce any of it. Several off-world resource extraction-based colonies, eventually joined by a few colonies in near-by star systems, were set up; all while a new and subversive religion began to take root on the home-world. Eventually, this gutted democracy, doomed practically from the start, came to an end. Inspired by the rebellious attitude of the new religion’s faithful, as well as revolutionary ideas from ancient human ideologies, one man – Nijar Szera - planted the seeds of revolt in the minds of the common people. Eager to overthrow their oppressors, exploited workers forged an alliance of convenience with the persecuted members of the new religion, and eventually teamed up with disgruntled military officers as well. Once that occurred, the old order stood no chance. The revolutionaries staged a bloody coup, promising to “throw off the shackles” of the previous regime and establish a “strong government” that would “rule for the common people.” Together, leaders from the three groups – workers, a religious minority and military defectors – formed a kind of informal dictatorship, casting off all notions of “democracy, ” which had since become associated with oppression. Nijar was placed at the head of this government and the nation became known as the Szera Autocracy (3125 - 3145). Together they wasted no time in reforming the nation, seizing vast amounts of privately-held wealth and redistributing it according to his egalitarian ideas. Though, records show he also made sure a good amount of that redistributed wealth found its way to his allies, enacting a state religion before their new state was ever formally named, and ensuring that the new military was amply supplied. Near the end of his life, Nijar began consolidating more of the government’s power within himself and his position, before handing his rank down to his son, a move that many of his fellow autocrats mimicked. Within fifty (standard) years, the Szera line had been declared royal, and before the turn of the century, the emperor was the only person who held absolute power over the nation. The Izeran Empire (3145 - ) was formally founded shortly after, solidifying the transition from a group of autocrats to an absolute monarchy. The descendants of Nijar’s collaborators, far from being booted from power, were appointed as governors of Izera’s colonies. That was a few centuries ago. Since then, Izera has changed significantly. By the third generation of the Szera line, the nation’s rulers were much less ideologically polarized, and adopted considerably more moderate positions on wealth redistribution and whatnot. This trend of assuming more centrist positions continues into the current regime. Perhaps more significantly, Izera has long since shed its impoverished past and emerged into the galaxy as a veritable political powerhouse. Government Izera is an absolute monarchy, currently under Empress Tanis Szera. While she has expressed no desire to radically change the status quo, she is the first Izeran empress to allow for mayoral elections, and has also created a position on the Royal Advisory Board that is to be filled by a democratically elected, and sufficiently qualified, citizen. Both positions are life-long appointments, however, and the adviser must also be approved by the empress. The trend among Izera’s royals of taking a “middle-of-the-road” approach to economics continues with Tanis, though she is considerably less shy about invoking some of Nijar’s ideas than many of her predecessors. Although not averse to trade and diplomacy, Izeran governments tend to be very cautious about who, among the other prominent nations of the galaxy, they are willing to trust, and very conservative about just how much trust they are willing to give. Izera values self-sufficiency, and so rarely decides to trade in anything that might create dependency. It also guards the details of its technology jealously, and keeps careful tabs on civilizations it believes might be more advanced in some area or another. While technically a secular government, the Izeran monarchy is very close to its state religion. The emperor or empress serves as a figurehead within the religious hierarchy, and one among the Ecclesia's Faehtanai Ra'nodaire council is chosen to serve on the Advisory Board. Despite prevalent references to an "Izeran Crown," few Izeran monarchs ever wore an actual crown, with their power and legitimacy instead being symbolized by the sa-te'kru fereiksu. Roughly translating to king maker, it is a palladium arm ring, worn around the left bicep and encrusted with diamonds, with long, thin chains of gold leading down the forearm and connecting to five platinum rings, one on each finger. It has deep and profound symbolic meaning and history, having been handed to the first Emperor of Izera by Mila herself. Structure *The Crown *The Royal Advisory Board **The Right Honourable Military Adviser to the Crown **The Right Honourable Intelligence Adviser to the Crown **The Right Honourable Foreign Affairs Adviser to the Crown **The Right Honourable Civil Affairs Adviser to the Crown **The Right Honourable Science Adviser to the Crown **The Right Honourable Justice Adviser to the Crown **The Right Honourable Culture Adviser to the Crown **The Right Honourable Elected Representative to the Crown *The Planetary Governors' Council *The Interplanetary Municipalities' Council Foreign Relations Recounting many of the major inter-governmental events that affected Izera and making note of the current state of the empire's relationships with other nations. Major Events First Contact (3165) Just twenty years after its formal founding, a fledgling Izera launched an expedition into deep space, having recovered ancient star-maps from the human colonists' archives and overheard signals that hinted at an alien civilization near-by. Not long after its launch, the expedition met ships from the Kaladian Empire. Although communication was quickly established, the Kaladians were hostile and threatened to destroy the expedition ship. It narrowly escaped, but the encounter shaped Izera's foreign policy for generations to come. Verandi and The Norb (3185) Some twenty years later, Izera decided to try its luck at finding friendly civilizations, partially due to the perceived threat from the larger, more powerful Kaladian Empire. Though, given the previous experience, this second expedition was much more well-armed than the first. Within the year, the expedition encountered a joint Norb -Verandi expedition ship. Although the Izeran explorers were initially suspicious and slow to trust, any hostility eventually faded and the future was left open to formal diplomatic relations. Izera has since come to enjoy and rich and fruitful relationship with both nations, going on to found the Galactic Nations alongside them. Triple Alliance & United Stars (3455 - 3475) An unfortunate series of coincidences aligned to create the events simply and collectively known as "The Border Skirmishes of 3455 - 75." A handful of diplomatic mishaps between Izera and both the Triple Alliance and the United Stars created black spots on the otherwise placid relationship the empire had with both nations. These new problems quickly escalated when combined with the then-emperor's aggressive expansion plans and some confusion about which border systems belonged to whom. After 20 years of on-and-off fighting and high tensions, Izera eventually agreed to relinquish its claim on both systems, provided that neither the T.A. or the U.S. ever stationed any permanent military forces in either system. Reparations began shortly after, and relations improved following a joint effort to better define the Izera-T.A.-U.S border. Norb Moon (3550) A major trade agreement between Izera and the Norb was brokered, and as a result a large moon in the Iros system, Ti'rez, was placed in the custody of the Norb. The agreement stipulated that the Norb would manufacture chemical products for Izera, and in exchange they would receive flora and fauna samples, as well as free consultations with local wildlife and plant life experts. Sirians & Cybernetics (3555) In early 3555, the Izeran government approved a deal that allowed some private cybernetics firms to license their products - civilian-issue subdermal, microscopic implants - to Sirian firms for production and use in the Sirian Union. The deal was not approved without some minor controversy, however, as the government mandated that the royalties be rather high and subjected the deal to additional taxes. Current Status (3555) Verandi Marked by a number of socio-cultural/governmental similarities, generally friendly personal relationships between leaders, - most notably between Empress Tanis Szera and Queen Amelia, but stretching back to, at the very least, diplomatic visits conducted by Emperor Nitalak and King Hemant II - and the founding of the GN, the relationship between the Verandi Empire and Izera is quite warm. From a non-governmental perspective, Verandi citizens are the Izeran anime industry's 2nd largest audience, with the largest being the domestic, Izeran audience. Norb Beyond the founding of the GN and the initial contact with the expedition ship, Izeran-Norb relations were warm but largely uneventful. The most significant event to occur in several decades was the establishment of the Norb Moon. Sirians Aside from the founding of the GN, Izera hadn't had much of a relationship with the Sirian Union until recently. Relations were complicated by Siria's odd rivalry with Verandi and its indifference towards the Norb, though things remained cordial thanks in large part to the GN and the Sirians' past with Kaladia. Triple Alliance & United Stars Following the Border Skirmishes of 3455 - 3475, relations gradually recovered from thei all-time low, and by 3525 Izera's relationship with both nations could once again be described as "amicable." In 3555, Izera has become a close trading partner and ally of both the U.S. and the T.A., with Empress Tanis suggesting that she is open to negotiating a Mutual Defence Pact with either or both nations some time in the eventual future. The U.S. and T.A. relationships with Izera are slightly marred by a small-but-vocal group of scholars spanning both nations. They claim that Izera is attempting to impose economic dependence on them, possibly with the full cooperation of their respective governments, and also accuse Izera of cultural imperialism. None of the three governments have acknowledged their complaints, however. Economy Izera’s strongest industry is the manufacturing industry. More specifically, the manufacturing of high-technology items (usually consumer electronics) and materials (telecom equipment, semiconductors, etc.) is the largest source of revenue for the nation. Its weakest industry is its exportation of raw materials, with extraction companies having to grapple with environmental concerns when operating on inhabited planets. Recent advances in nanotechnology are poised to revolutionize the Izeran economy - if not the nation as a whole - as newly-created nanomachines are capable of directly manipulating matter on the atomic scale, calling into question the necessity of more traditional methods of manufacturing things. The technology is not widespread, however, as it is still in the prototype stage. Within the past decade (3545 - 3555), Izera has developed burgeoning interactive entertainment and anime industries. Although businesses in both of these industries are still fairly small, their respective products are quickly gaining popularity, suggesting that the industries have enormous potential for growth. Military The military is of tremendous importance to Izera; all citizens are expected to have served at some point or other. There is no mandatory service, but most citizens believe that even a minimal term of service is an enormous boon to one’s career prospects. And more broadly, military service is widely believed to “build character” like nothing else can. The Royal Izeran Armed Forces is a robust, well-funded and technologically advanced fighting force. Although recent governments have put more of an emphasis on space-based forces over other sectors, the overall preparedness of the nation’s military has not suffered to any particularly noticeable extent. The Space Force’s large, powerful, well-armoured battleships serve as the backbone of the fleet and also serve as the space equivalent to aircraft carriers. Cruisers, a “jack of all trades” kind of ship, fill in the gaps alongside the S.F.’s rare few dreadnoughts, which are quite enormous and are as much of a psychological weapon as they are a conventional fighting ship. Izera’s space forces primarily use plasma-based weaponry. (See also: Royal Izeran Marines) Infrastructure City Layouts Most of Izera’s major cities require thinking on a three-dimensional level, as they tend to be designed around the notion that “upwards” is better than “outwards.” In the largest cities, enormous skyscrapers skim the bottom of their planet’s stratosphere, and their main entrances are often hundreds of feet above sea-level. Thus, citizens had to become comfortable with regularly changing altitudes by fairly drastic amounts for simple daily commutes. A complex web of mid-air plazas, elevators and bridges connect buildings for pedestrian traffic, and personal vehicles are all capable of free, in-atmosphere flight. These vehicles are all managed by sophisticated traffic A.I’s., and not actually driven by Izeran citizens, due to the increased risks posed by mid-air traffic accidents. For those without personal vehicles, and without the money for regular taxis, public transport does exist; a rough equivalent to a monorail system spans all major cities. This city design tends to leave the lower levels of Izeran cities in near-perpetual darkness, making them incredibly unattractive places for citizens and commercial entities alike. These levels are sparsely inhabited, and often thought of as a hotspot for grey-market dealings and other not-quite-legal activities. Education Education in Izera happens quickly. Young children receive a Neurocomputer within the first few months of their life, enabling them to, at roughly 8 Standard Years learn about a month’s worth of textbook material in a matter of minutes. The system isn’t perfect, though; for the newly learned knowledge to take hold in students’ minds, they must practice using the newly-learned information regularly, and for several consecutive weeks. Even so, the system leaves children with a great deal more free time than more traditional means of education, and so they are usually left at state-funded daycares or religious temples to be babysat. Here they are introduced to and taught art (and possibly philosophy) in ways that an interface couldn’t easily replace. This style of education, the brain-computer interface, extends to older students as well, up to and including the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree. After that, education is done through more traditional means. Older students are, of course, free to do as they please after “school, ” and some parents choose to leave their young children at home after a session, usually because they have a babysitter arranged or because they own a robot capable of caring for little children. Law Enforcement Law enforcement is almost as important to Izeran society as the military, and is quite pervasive as a result. Enforcement personnel are greatly respected, and they are given a great deal of leeway as a result, along with excellent equipment. Officers of the law, from patrolling policemen to federal agents, can apply for “quick warrants,” via a piece of a equipment colloquially known as a "warrant ticker," whenever they feel they need to. When they do, an A.I. uses some of the officer's equipment and cybernetics to gather as much information as it can and then instantaneously decides whether or not a warrant is deserved. However, due to the lack of any oversight involved with this system, any warrant not relating to an immediate threat must still be obtained through the court system. Despite the prestige afforded to law enforcement, they receive no special immunity to the laws they are trusted with enforcing. They are allowed very little margin for error, and forgiveness is often hard to come by. Law enforcement is aided by an extensive closed-circuit monitoring system present in every city, as well as numerous drones. Cybernetic Enhancement In addition to the Neurocomputer given to every citizen early in their lives, many citizens opt to have other microscopic, subdermal implants installed in various parts of their body in order to improve their eyesight, memory retention and reflexes, among other things. However, the changes provided by these civilian-issue implants, while noticeable, tend to be minor. Different implants are exclusively available to active law enforcement and military personnel. These special enhancements can produce dramatic improvements in all areas serviced by normal civilian implants as well as provide a significant boost to an individual's strength, overall physical resiliency and situational awareness. Such implants are removed upon a user's exit from their service. Theoretically, the technology needed to manufacture a fully robotic body, and mechanize an organic brain to operate it, does exist in Izera. Using the various technologies in pursuit of these goals is illegal, however, and widely regarded as immoral. Only a handful of firms, some of which are Crown Corporations, are permitted to manufacture mechanical limbs, and only for use by amputees, many of whom opt to have cloned limbs grown for them instead. Culture Much of what is considered uniquely Izeran culture arises from relatively recent phenomenon, compared to how long sentient Therans have been on Akanda. This is because many aspects of pre-contact Theran culture was lost to Akanda's many wars and the planet-wide revolution that lead to the formation of Izera. What traditions and customs from early Theran culture survived Akanda's turmoil tend to be highly valued, especially among more conservative Therans. Language Although there were once thousands of distinct languages spoken on Akanda, including several Terran languages or variants of them, the various nation-states that engaged in conquest throughout the planet's history frequently sought to impose their customs on others and eliminate any cultural competition, including different languages. These instances of mass cultural destruction only intensified with the rise of the Akandan Republic, and contrary to popular belief, continued into the early years of the Szera Autocracy. As a result, modern-day Therans and Izeran Humans speak a language known as Rihansu, a language whose name stems from a combination of the words "riha" (speech) and "ah'hansu" (of the people), both of which are remnant words from an older, previous language. Linguists believe the language to be a complex mixture of several old theran dialects and some variants of Terran languages. Unfortunately, due to the words being corrupted by various factors and the large-scale destruction of records that took place over much of Akanda's history, scientists have yet to determine exactly which languages were combined to form Rihansu. Since emerging into the galaxy and learning of Earth in roughly 3185, many Izeran Humans have taken to learning Terran languages, with English being among the most popular. Human Mimicry Hearkening back to the Stone Age is the notion among Therans that they must appear human while out in public. Once, this was done with face-paint, masks and wigs. Now it is done with advanced hologram technology. Being outside and in the company of strangers without such a disguise is seen as roughly equivalent to being in public while wearing nothing but underwear; embarrassing, frowned upon, but not necessarily illegal. In recent years, though, a growing social movement to cast off this this tradition has emerged and is quickly gaining popularity. Moondance Another of the few surviving customs from early Theran culture is the Moondance. As the name suggests, a Moondance is a large celebration that relates to Akanda's three moons. More specifically, the dance is held annually, when Akanda's moons all reach the "new moon" period of their "lunar cycles" on the same night. Archaeologists believe that early Therans treated these Moondances as sombre occasions for reflection, forgiveness and the worship of the Moon Spirits (many early Theran tribes were believed to have practised a form of Animism). Modern Izerans - both Therans and humans, as well as some immigrant families of other races - have transformed the Moondance into a secular affair and an excuse for classy parties. Each of Izera's major colonies practice Moondances slightly differently and on different dates, with each colony waiting for its own moon(s) to reach the "new moon" part of the cycle. Planet Elas is perhaps the most notable of the colonies in terms of celebrating differently; many of its inhabitants, especially in sparsely populated areas, participate in group prayers to the Moon Spirits, with some groups even dabbling in occult rituals in an effort to emulate ancient Therans. There is very little archaeological evidence to suggest that early Theran tribes practised anything resembling such rituals, however, and most of the rituals practised during Moondances on Elas actually stem from ancient Terran traditions. Religion See Arakism Martial Arts Ka'shi is practised in temples across the nation, though most people are taught through slow movements and with an emphasis on its benefits as a spiritual endeavour and as exercise. Nevertheless, it is also taught as an effective fighting style for those who would seek out such lessons, and variants of it are taught to law enforcement and military personnel. All forms of Ka'shi teach swordplay, to some extent or another, and the importance of swords has spread into secular aspects of Izeran culture. Many religious citizens carry around metre-long blades that can retract and collapse into hilts that are usually around eight inches long. Most are not sharpened, however, and are treated as decoration, accessories or symbols. Although the prevalence of guns has rendered melee combat largely irrelevant, among Izeran VIP’s there are sharpened swords made of extremely strong and durable materials. Occasionally, these weapons are also outfitted with internal channels through which, with the aid of precise electromagnets, a small amount of plasma is conducted, superheating the blade. These are considered status symbols more than anything else, though they are still fully-functional weapons. With the advent of the Galactic Swordplay Tournaments and Izeran Fencing's popularity, several new forms that focus exclusively on different forms of effective sword usage have been created by various Izerans specifically for competitions. Those who teach Ka'shi are referred to as Ka'shi Saehne, just Saehne for short, and those who have mastered it are referred to as Ka'shi Ra'nodaire. Similarly, those who specifically teach Izeran swordplay are referred to as Sienov Saehne, while those who have mastered at least one form of Izeran swordplay are referred to as Sienov Ra'nodaire. Ka'shi Forms - General Although each Ka'shi style has many variants, derivatives characterized by overall similarities to the "parent" form with differences in interpretations of the guiding philosophy and some techniques, there are only three widely agreed-upon "main schools" of Ka'shi (-su, -ro, and -ra), two of which evolved from variants of -su. All forms of Ka'shi, regardless of where, why, or how they originated, trace their roots back to Arakism and contain traces of Arakist philosophy. Ka'shi forms are considered intellectual property, shared equally between their creators and the Arakist Ecclesia. *'Ka'shi-su' is the oldest and most commonly known form of Ka'shi and is taught at Ecclesia temples throughout Izera. It emphasizes grace and "beauty in movement," and is taught through slow and deliberate movements, with an emphasis on its use as a spiritual practice. Sword use maintains the overall philosophy of Ka'shi-su, continuing its slow, graceful movements. It is often taught using weighted batons instead of actual weapons. *'Ka'shi-ro' is the standard Ka'shi form taught to those who seek to use it as a form of self-defence. Ka'shi-ro is very strike-oriented; teaching, among other things, effective punching, kicking, elbow strikes, and offensive combos. It places great importance the need for a sturdy stance at all times. Ka'shi-ro carries this attitude into its swordplay techniques, emphasizing strike-combinations and teaching the use of pommel strikes and other such things. *'Ka'shi-ra' traces it origins back to ancient disagreements among masters as to the effectiveness of Ka'shi-ro. Ka'shi-ra emphasizes grappling, holds, redirection and deflecting attacks, using strikes only when necessary, and even then, only using "open-palm" techniques. It was created with the intention of subduing opponents with minimal harm to either the practitioner or the opponent, and a variant of it is taught to police officers throughout Izera. The sword technique emphasizes a generally defensive outlook, with importance placed upon fluid footwork, patience and deflection. *'Ka'shi-nerr' is a fighting style created in 3245 exclusively for and by the Royal Izeran Armed Forces. It takes elements from both Ka'shi-ro and Ka'shi-ra, as well as several other martial arts from Earth and around the galaxy, and assimilates them into a cohesive fighting style. Designed to prepare Izeran soldiers for a variety of CQC scenarios, training is based on realistic scenarios, incorporates the use of firearms into its style and emphasizes adaptability. Ka'shi Forms - Swordplay *'Ka'shi-fae' is a swordplay-specific style developed in 3275 specifically for professional fencing, and combines elements of Ka'shi-su and Ka'shi-ra. Ka'shi-fae focuses on elegance, efficient motions, subtlety, and a strong defence facilitated by excellent footwork, deflection and redirection. The style demands patience and a calm state of mind from its user. It is the most popular style among professional Izeran Fencers. *'Ka'shi-tsu' is another sword-specific style developed in 3280 as a response to Ka'shi-fae. Many practitioners felt that Ka'shi-fae was too slow, that its defensive focus pointlessly prolonged matches, and that it was simply boring to watch or practise. As a result, Ka'shi-tsu is aggressive, focusing on speedy flurries of strikes and slashes, and incorporating some throws as well as "opportunistic" punches, kicks, and pommel strikes into its style. Ka'shi-tsu is very physically demanding, and is widely disliked by athletes who see fencing as an elegant sport. Nevertheless, it has always maintained a small, dedicated following, and has experienced a slight increase in popularity in the wake of the G.S.T coming into being. *'Ka'shi-ser' was developed in 3540 by a group of fencers who felt that offensive capabilities and elegance were not mutually exclusive. Frustrated by the limitations of the two "accepted" forms, Ka'shi-fae and Ka'shi-tsu, and feeling that the variants of either did not do enough to overcome these limitations, the creators of Ka'shi-ser sought to combine efficiency, graceful movement and fluid footwork with fast, powerful strikes and combinations. Ka'shi-ser also allows its practitioners to engineer most of their blocks into counter-attacks, and effectively dodge most attacks that the user isn't confident blocking. The most technically complicated of all the sword-specific styles, and arguably of all Ka'shi styles in existence, Ka'shi-ser demands a great deal of concentration and practice from its users. Despite this, it quickly proved popular among fencers, and its popularity only grew with the advent of the G.S.T. Marianna Kesyk is credited by Ka'shi-ser's creators as a "special consultant," and used the form in the 3551 Winners' Circle tournament. Sports The most popular sports that trace their origins back to Izera are Izeran Fencing and GARVR-rules racing. As its name suggests, Izeran Fencing bears many similarities to the Terran sport/martial art known as Classical or Olympic Fencing. It is widely considered to be an elegant sport for wealthy, high-class, intellectual audiences. As a result, Izeran Fencing competitions rarely make use of corporate sponsorship, as individual athletes either find wealthy benefactors or come from wealthy backgrounds. Either way, they are held to high standards of sportsmanship and precision in their performance. Since roughly, 3535 Izeran Fencing has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity, eventually leading to the creation of the Galactic Swordplay Tournaments. The Galactic Association for Repulsorlift Vehicle Racing (GARVR) is the largest sanctioning body of single-seat, in-atmosphere, free-flying and near-contact repulsorlift vehicle racing in the galaxy. Once a national passtime largely contained to Izera, GARVR-rules racing has been popular around the galaxy since roughly 3505. Demographics Therans make up roughly 85% of Izera's citizenry, while humans remain a sizable minority at 12%. The remaining 3% is split between various immigrants from other nations. Territory Izera’s territory consists of about seven star systems with one major colony in each. All systems are patrolled regularly by Izera’s Space Force. *The Din system contains the Izeran home-world, Akanda, as well as several military bases, lesser civilian colonies and some mining colonies. Akanda is the second most densely populated planet in Izera. *The Kal system contains Izera’s largest military base, Tauri, and a handful of prison colonies. The system is tightly guarded, with a number of fleets, smaller bases and defensive installations securing the area. It closed to the public. *The Mila system contains Elas, which is sparsely populated – relative to the other colonies – with only a few major cities and a generally rural feel to it. Its system has no other colonies in it, only a handful of defensive installations. *The Nijar system contains Remia ''', a large civilian colony renowned for excellent scenery, pleasant weather and prestigious universities. Remia’s planetary government invests heavily in science, and so has a number of research outposts dotting the other planets in its system. These are joined by a handful of defence installations and military bases. *The Iros system contains '''Tharr, which is an enormous, planet-wide city – an ecumenopolis. Tharr has become the financial and industrial heart of Izera, and is the most densely populated of all Izera’s colonies. Most of the other planets in Tharr’s system have extensive mining operations on them, though a few were reserved for defensive installations. The system also contains the Norb factory-moon. *The Kuo system is listed as a W.M.D. testing ground, and is closed to the public. It contains no colonies or structures, but its planets are each surrounded by an orbital minefield. (Secretly, the system contains planet Xeo, which has been converted into an enormous fortress-world.) *The Eevar system was claimed fairly recently, relative to the other colonies, and has no permanent population. It was discovered to be rich in rare minerals and metals, and the Izeran government has begun extensive mining operations as a result. It has no defensive installations or military bases, but a small fleet is stationed there until some can be erected. Trivia Category:Nations Category:Izera